Where to mine netherite in Minecraft Java Edition?

Netherite is a material that was added to Minecraft in the 1.16 edition and has since been a hot commodity since.

Netherite is a rare material from the Nether, and it is primarily used to upgrade diamond armor and items. Netherite items are therefore more powerful and durable than diamonds, can float in lava, and cannot burn.

Since it is so rare, netherite is very hard to find, and players need to go through multiple steps in order to obtain it. Listed down below is everything players need to know about where to mine netherite!

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Mining Netherite in Minecraft Java Edition

Finding Ancient Debris

Image via PC Gamer

Ancient Debris is the first thing Minecraft players need to find in order to obtain netherite. In the Nether, ancient debris generates in the form of blobs, and up to two blobs may generate per chunk. On average, the best level to find ancient debris is at Y-level 15. It will only spawn if it is completely covered by other blocks or lava, so it will not spawn out in the open. Also, the blocks can only be mined and obtained with a diamond or netherite pickaxe.

Method One: Branch Mining

An example of a branch mining method (Image via Minecraft)

One common way to mine for netherite is through branch mining. If the player has a diamond pickaxe with at least Efficiency II, they can instantly mine netherrack. The player, while instantly being able to break the netherrack, is able to walk (or even sprint) in one direction until they hit lava, and then proceed to mine in the other direction. During branch mining, it's recommended that Minecraft players bring a couple of potions of fire resistance, as it can be very easy to accidentally run into lava while mining.

Lots of Minecraft players also use a pickaxe with Mending and Unbreaking III so that the player can actually mend their pickaxes by mining the quartz found while branch mining. This allows the player to mine for ancient debris for as long as they can. With the above method, players are able to break about 12 netherrack blocks per second, making this a very quick and efficient way to mine netherrack.

Method Two: The Bed Method

The view after using the bed method (Image via Reddit)

This method is rather self explanatory - the Minecraft player uses beds in order to mine for netherite. When beds are used in alternate dimensions, such as the nether, they explode with a larger blast radius than TNT. Using this method can be slightly more dangerous and intricate, but the player will not need to mine a whole lot.

To begin this method, Minecraft players need to mine down to Y=15, as explained before. From there, if they haven't already, players should craft a good number of beds. It's then suggested that players mine a tunnel, and at every 16th block, mine 1x2x5 tunnels (1 block wide, 2 blocks high and 5 blocks long), perpendicular to the main tunnel. From there, players should place a bed in the side tunnel, with the head of the bed facing the main tunnel. Because beds have an explosion power of 5, Minecraft players want to make sure to stand 6 blocks away to avoid damage.

After clicking on the bed and having it explode, players may find up to 3 ancient debris in the exposed blocks.